See how we gave one breast cancer survivor a sophisticated edge

Make It a Woman's Day

Make It a Woman's Day

"You've had a really bad year this week." That's how Mary Micari's boss greeted her when she got to the office on Friday afternoon, August 5, 2011. He was right: That Tuesday, she was diagnosed with breast cancer; on Friday she awoke to discover that her apartment building was on fire. "Half of what I owned was destroyed," says Mary, 49. "Losing the sentimental stuff, like photos and my grandmother's Christmas ornaments, was so much harder than losing my furniture and clothes."

For the next few weeks, as she bounced from one friend's apartment to another while undergoing surgery and radiation for Stage 1 cancer, she was also taking care of a little something at work: overseeing the relocation of the 70-employee law practice where she is office manager. "I've never been so tired in my life," Mary admits. "It took most of my energy just to throw on some clothes in the morning—let alone do my hair and makeup."

Last fall, thankfully, Mary was declared cancer-free, but the hectic pace of her life hasn't changed. She's still scrambling to replace the possessions she lost and get settled in her new apartment, and she admits that her appearance has been the last thing on her mind. So to give her a style boost and help get her spirits (and her wardrobe) back on track, Woman's Day took her to New York's Sally Hershberger salon for a vibrant new hairstyle, got her outfitted at Lord & Taylor and had a makeup artist work her magic.

Mary loved the results. "There was a photo of me online after the fire," she recalls. "When my mother saw it, the first thing she blurted out was 'My God, your hair!'—implying that it was a mess." Mary adds, with a smile, "I can't wait for her to see these pictures. This time when she says, 'Your hair!' it'll be because it looks better than ever."

Hairstyle

Hairstyle

Mary's long, layerless hair needed some dimension, so Ruben Colon gave her a modern shag that's easy to maintain. Thanks to the choppy layers he snipped into her ends, the style looks good blown dry or slightly damp. "It's basically wash-and-go hair," says Colon.